What's the difference between a communist and a Socialist?

Please enlighten me. The most obnoxious thing in the world is when people want to let you know there's a difference. So, I'm going to do a little research project here and explain the differences.

Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods, and the creation of an egalitarian society.[1][2] Modern socialism originated in the late nineteenth-century working class political movement. Karl Marx posited that socialism would be achieved via class struggle and a proletarian revolution which represents the transitional stage between capitalism and communism.[3][4]


Communism is a socioeconomic structure and political ideology that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless society based on common ownership of the means of production and property in general.[1][2][3] Karl Marx posited that communism would be the final stage in human society, evolving into a classless, stateless society of "pure communism".

So if you read this carefully, they are different means to the same end, different shades of the same color.

"Communism seeks centralization of power by revolution and socialism seeks centralization of power by evolution." That's a great way to explain it.

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